Ignition device for internal-combustion engines



R. A. WILLIAMS.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, I920. 1,369,594; Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

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v R. A. WILLIAMS.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, I920. 1,369,594. Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

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R. A. WILLIAMS.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- 622% m www, 3 WW Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGDTIS Application filed September a, 1920. ,Berial No. 409,218.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,- Ronnm' ARTHUR WIL- LIAMS, a subject of the-King of Great Britain, and a resident of Porth -yr Aur, Llanwnda, near Carnarvon, North Wales, have invented new and useful Im rovements in I ition Devices for Internalmbustion Engines, of which the following is the specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an ignition apparatus or device for igniting purposes in internal combustion engines which is simpler in construction and operation, and cheaper to produce as an article of manufacture than the ordinary magneto, a further advantage and a great one in practice being that there are no rotating 'coils or contact pieces. The apparatus will there 1 fore be simpler in the matter of adjustment and timing while it will give the same results as the ordinary commercial magneto'of the type as usually constructed. Further, the igniting apparatus according to this invention being without a multiplicity of minute working parts found in the ordi nary magneto is more robust and more reliable, also the spark is alwa s at its maximum however much the timing is advanced or retarded.

In carrying out my invention I provide a permanent magnet, strai ht or curved, the latter being preferably 0 the horseshoe pattern, and I bolt or secure the magnetto the flywheel or otherrotating part of the engine. If a curved magnet, or magnet of the horseshoe pattern is emplo ed then Iprefer to form a slot in the dis of the flywheel adjacent to and within the rim, and I pass the magnet through the slot in such a manner that it is not magnetically short circuited by the flywheel, and secure the magnet by screws or the like to the rim of the flywheel.

The said magnet-may be made of two or more magnets, the inner closely fitting within and embraced by the outer, but preferably two such magnets are rovided, the outer one of which may be ormed with lateral lugs or extensions to form pole pieces.v If one such compound magnet is fitted at one side of the flywheel, a balance weight of the same weight is fitted on the opposite side of the flywheel, or two such magnets may be fitted atopposed positions of the flywheel rim. V

-With the above and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description protion engine.

while I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, it

Specification of Letters latenti Patent d F b 22 1921 i will be understood that such changes may be made" as will fall within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawin Flgure 1 is an elevation of a flyw eel having a single compound permanent magnet secured thereto with an end view of the armature- I I Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig, 1 partly in section.

Fig. 3' is an elevation in which two permanent'magnets are secured in an opposed and balanced mannerupon the flywheel. Fig. 4 is an elevation of another mode of carrying my invention into effect in which a straight bar magnet is employed instead of a horseshoe, the .magnet preferably being formed astwo magnets in one piece.

Fig. 5 is an elevation in which two armatures are employed with one bar magnet. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows another method of making and breaking contact.

Fig. 8 is a diagram of the connections. A represents the flywheel or other suitable rotating art of the internal combusg is the shaft on which it is secured. C is the permanent magnet mounted on the flywheel secured by screws or the like. The horseshoe magnet is passed through a slot C in the disk web of t e flywheel so that the magnet poles C C are located adjacent the rim and on'each side of same as shown in Fig. 2. A. balance weight D is secured on the flywheel at' the opposite diametral position to balance 'the' weight of V core E is laminated as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, and it is provided with the two windings E E as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

The low tension or primary winding E is connected to the framework of the engine. The high tension or secondary wind ngE is connected atone end to the low tension winding and at the other end to the spark.

plug or distributer, if the latter be employed. The spring contact plate F is mounted on an insulatedisupport that may be adjustable adjacent the electro-magnet E and it has a wire connecting the end of the plate with the junction of the high tension and low tension windings. On the rim face of the flywheel is secured by screws or the like the brass contact piece G which has fitted thereon flush with its surface (which surface is slightly raised above the flywheel face) a number of insulating gaps or strips H. In the drawings three insulating gaps are shown, but any suitable number of such gaps may be provided. The gaps may be formed by fitting small strips or rods of .vulcanite, ebonite or other suitable insulating material within the brass so that the surface of the brass is flush with the surface of the insulating gaps in order not to offer any.

arranged and timed with regard to the cycle of operations of the engine that the rotating or permanent magnet registers with or comes immediately beneath the poles of the armature and at the moment that it is desired that the spark shall pass across the ga s of the sparking plug.

- nite the charge in the second cylinder of the same engine, or alternatively both armatu'res may be in series or parallel.

In Fi 4 5 and 6, the straight bar magnet is tte diametrally across the front of the H heel. The bar magnet K is preferabl ormed as a double magnet integral that 15 to say with the two like poles at the center of the bar, so that two like poles, north for example, are at each outside end of same. The bar magnet K is secured to the flywheel by means of the brass bolts and distance pieces L, M, respectivelyk one bolt at each end. The bar magnet is formed with a central hole K which fits over the end of the crank or'like shaft and is rovided with the iron distance piece N. he

7 magnet-is secured by the nut shown fixed on theend of the shaft. The flywheel is secured to the shaft in the usual manner as by a key. The fixed armature, high and low tension coils and spring contact plates described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, are arranged and operate in like"- ma nner in F igs. 4, 5 and 6, having a straight bar ma net.

he arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is suitable for a sin le cylinder two-stroke or for a single cylin er four-stroke without a distributer. In the duplicate arrangement with two fixed armatures shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, the second coil should be in parallel with the other coil, and this arrangement is suitable for a two-cylinder two-stroke or a four-cylinder four-strokeengine with a high tension distributer fitted on half time shafts.

thereon and projecting from the face of same a small boss or stud O which is of hardened metal. It is adapted to engage with the spring plate P during the rotation of the flywheel and the end of this plate may be provided with a corresponding rojection or stud to contact with the stu or projection O. The other end of the spring plate P is fixed to some stationary portion of the engine and earthed. An insulating piece P is secured to the under side of the spring plate P and mounted on the insulator P is the brass plate Q, having the wire Q, which is connected to the joint of the high tension and low tension coils on the stationary adjustable armature previously described. This connection is indicated on the diagram, Fig. 8. A platinum point P is secured on the under surface of the plate P adapted to make contact with the corres onding platinum point Q upon the plate (5 the contact being broken each time that the flywheel A rotates and'the stud or projection O engages with and lifts the sprin plate P. The wire at the end of the big tension coil, Fig. 8, indicated" by the arrow head is connected directly to the spark plug ,or distributer as may be required.

1. An ignition devioe for internal com-- 1,aee,594

bustion engines comprising in combination with a fl wheel of an engine having an opening t erein, a horseshoe or curved magnet fitted through said opening, in such a manner that the poles of the magnet are on opposite sides of the fly wheel rim, an armature secured to a 'stationar part of the engine and provided with high and low tension windings, the poles of the magnet, when the fly wheel is rotated, passing in proximity to the oles of thearmature, and a make and breafi mechanism arranged on the rim of the fly wheel.

2. An ignition device for internal combustion engines comfprising in combination with a fly wheel 0 an engine having an opening therein, a horseshoe or curved magnet fitted'through said opening, in such a manner that the poles of the, magnet are on opposite sidesof the fly-wheel rim, and one limb of the magnet is in contact with the fly wheel and the other limb is spaced therefrom, an armature secured to a stationar part of the engine and provided with hi 1 and low tension windings, the poles of t e magnet, when the fly wheel is rotated, passing in proximity to the poles of the armature, and a make and (break mechanism arranged on the rim of the fly wheel.

3. An ignition device for internal combustion engines, comprising in combination with the fly wheel of the engine, having contact points thereon, a stationary armature having high and low tension windings, and spring contact Witness v plates connected to said windings, the spring contact plates adapted oints on the 

